Last Thursday, around 13:45 hours, a bomb attack in Palmanova interrupted the holiday season on the island of Mallorca. Official sources state that ETA, the Basque separatist terrorist organization, conducted the attack which killed two Guardia Civil policemen...

   

Shortly after the first attack, police forces found a second bomb which they managed to destroy without further casualities. As a result of the attack, Palma's airport and all seaports remained closed for various hours in an attempt to make it as difficult as possible for the terrorists to escape. 

The attacks happened just a day after another attack in Burgos and the day before the 50th anniversary of the basque terror group. The timing chosen, comes at a time when Spanish and French police can look back to a number of successful arrests in recent months. However, ETA's intention seems to be to prove that they still have the logistics and power to conduct attacks all over Spain. 

 

It seems likely that the attack had been prepared over a long period of time, possibly up to two years. The barracks of the Guardia Civil in Palmanova and other locations on the island of Mallorca seem to have been under observation for a long time. In a police raid in Bilbao back in last summer, documents had been found containing information on Thursday's target. The attack in Palmanova allegedly had been performed with a remote controlled bomb, placed below the vehicle a few minutes before. The explosives had a substantial impact not only on the Nissan Patrol of the two Guardias but also on neighbouring buildings. 

 

Despite no arrests so far, police suspects that it was an ETA couple that could have resided on the island in a flat or rented house, living an ordinary life over months while attracting relatively little attention. It is quite likely that the couple has not managed to leave the island yet. According to some sources, police has started to randomly search flats and question people.

 

On Friday a service was held in the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca, attended by Prince Felipe, his wife, premier José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and opposition leader Mariano Rajoy of the conservative party.

 

Spain's king Juan Carlos, started his vacation on the island of Mallorca yesterday, residing in the Marivent Palace, only a few miles from the location where the bombing took place.